Air conditioning system



PL 1941- H. R. SEWELL 2,257,486

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Original Filed Aug. 15, 1939 ION HEATER 9.

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Patented Sept. 30, 1941 AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Henry R. Sewell, Norwell, Mass, assignor to B. F. Sturtevant Company, Boston, Mass.

Original application August 15, 1939, Serial No.

1940, Serial No. 338,715

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the conditioning of air for comfort and relates more particularly to the combination of a central dehumidifier and local sensible coolers with controls for maintaining desired conditions of temperature and humidity at minimum expense.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 290,167, filed Aug. 15, 1939.

In the past, it has generally been the practice to dehumidify outdoor air and air recirculated from the space served, to a predetermined low dew point and after reheating the dehumidifled air by mixture with by-pass air or by steam. to supply the mixed air into the space served. This has required not only large fans and large dehumidifiers for handling large volumes of air, but the supply ducts were large, and recirculated air and by-pass air ducts were required.

According to this invention, dehumidifled outdoor air is supplied to the space served, and sensible coolers in the space served take care of sensible heat gains in the space through recir- D culation of and the cooling of the air in the space.

A feature of the invention resides in varying the volume of dehumidified air supplied to the space served proportional to the moisture gains in the space thus meeting ventilating requirements by varying the volume of outdoor air conformably with the number or occupants of the space served.

Another feature of the invention resides in so adJusting the relation between the dew point temperature of the conditioned air and the temperature of the local sensible coolers that no condensation at the sensible coolers can take place.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention employing hygroscopic dehumidification this is accomplished by controlling the dew point of the air supplied into the space served, by contro the vapor pressure of the absorbent solution, and by independently controlling the temperature of the cooling fluid supplied to the sensible coolers.

Another feature of the invention resides in varying the dew point temperature of the dehumiditled air conformably with changes in the temperature of the outdoor air so that the dew point temperature is raised when the outdoor temperature rises, and is lowered when the outdoor temperature falls.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing refrigerative water cooling in an after cooler and in the local sensible coolers when the Divided and this application June 4,

wet bulb temperature of the outdoor air is too high for evaporative cooling to be efiective, and in supplying this cooling effect through evaporative cooling when the wet bulb temperature of the outdoor air is sufliciently low.

An object of the invention is supplying conditioned outdoor air in volumes varying conformably' with moisturegains and accordingly with ventilating requirements.

Another object is to remove sensible heat gains in a space supplied with dehumidified outdoor air, without providing condensation in the space.

Another object is controlling the operation of a central dehumidifier and local sensible coolers in accordance with changes in outdoor air conditions.

Another object of the invention is to control the dew point temperature of the air delivered by a hygroscopic dehumidifier by adjusting the vapor pressure of the hygroscopic solution em.-.

ployed.

Another object of the invention is to supply evaporatively cooled water to the after cooler of a hygroscopic air dehumidifier and to associated local sensible coolers.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken with the drawing.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, which shows a diagram matic view of one embodiment of the invention employing hygroscopic dehumidiflcation.

In the structure as shown, a hygroscopic solution such for example, as lithium chloride from the sump 5 is circulated by the pump 6 through the pipe 1 into the solution cooler 8 used in the cooling season, and then into the solution heater 9 used in the heating season and through the spray nozzles (not shown) in the air conditioner II. The solution returns through the pipe II to the sump 5.

A portion of the solution drawn from the sump I by the pump 6 is by-passed through the pipe it, through the heater l3 and concentrator M where excess moisture is evaporated, the concentrated solution returning through the pipe 15 to the sump 5. The fan l6 forces air through the duct I1 and concentrator H to aid in the evaporation.

The cooling tower water after cooler I8 is a sensible cooler receiving water through the pipe I, valve 20 and 22. After passing through the cooler It, the water returns through the pipe 23 to the cooling tower 22. A portion of the water from the coolpump II from the cooling tower.

ing tower 22 is by-passed through the pipe 24 and valve 25 and solution cooler 8 following which it returns through the pipe 23 to the tower 22.

The evaporatively cooled water from the tower 22 removes sensible heat in the cooler l8 from the dehumidified air, and cools in the cooler 8 the absorption solution which has become heated in the conditioner l8.

The refrigerated water after cooler 25 is connected to the cooler i8 so as to receive air therefrom, and receives refrigerated water from. the evaporator cooler 26, circulated by the pump 21 a driven by the motor 28, through the pipes 28 and 38 and valves 3| and 32. The valve 3| is a three-way valve and is connected to the pipe 33 which forms a by-pass around the evaporator cooler 26 for the purposes which will presently be explained.

A portion or the refrigerated water from the evaporator cooler 26 passes from the pipe 38 through the pipe 34 and valve 35 and into the local coler 36 in the room or zone 31. The water from the local cooler then passes through the pipes 38 and 33 back to the pump 21.

The local cooler 36 is an element of the local sensible cooler 38 which also has the Ian 40, recirculated air inlets and dehumidifled air inlet 42. The sensible cooler 38 is one oi several supplied with dehumidified outdoor air from the air conditioner l8, and recirculates the air within its room or zone 31 and mixes dehumidiiied out-,- door air with the recirculated air in volumes proportional to numbers of the occupants of the space 31 as will presently be explained.

The central fan the ducts 44 and I8, air conditioner I8, and coolers I8 and 25 and supplies it through the main supply duct 45 and through branch ducts such as 46 into each of the rooms or zones 31, served.

The typical space 31 contains the humidostat 4 connected by the line 41 to a compressed air supply and controlling through the air line 48 and bell 48 the position of the damper 58 in the branch duct 46. As the moisture in the space varies above or below the desired standard, the humidostat 4 adjusts the damper 58 to admit more or less respectively, dehumidified air, through the duct 46 and inlet 42 into the local unit 39. The moisture gains vary with the occupants of the space 31 so that the damper 58 acts to vary the volume of outdoor air supplied in accordance with proper ventilating requirements.

The dry bulb master thermostat in the outdoor air duct 44 is connected by the air line 62 to the compressed air supply and is connected by the air lines53 and 54 to the wet bulb thermostat or hygrostat sub-stat 55 in the main supply duct 45. The sub-stat 55 is connected by the air line 56 to the bells 51 and 58 which control the vapor pressure of the absorption liquid circulated through the air conditioner by adjusting the valves 25 and 49 to vary its temperature.

The valve 58 is in the steam pipe 68 connecting the solution heater 8 with the steam source 6| which is in service during the heating season.

The wet bulb thermostat 55, which could alternatively be a humidostat, responds to changes in the humidity of the air in the main supply duct to maintain the desired standard by adjusting the vapor pressure of the absorption liquid and accordingly the dew point temperature of the air delivered by the conditioner ill. The

43 draws outdoor air through thermostat 55 is adjusted by the master thermostat 5| coniormably with changes in the dry bulb temperature of the outdoor air.

In prior systems especially those providing dehumidiflcation by refrigeration, it was the practice to maintain a constant minimum dew point in thedehumidifled air, and to vary the dry bulb temperature of the deliveredair as required for comfort. This resulted-in having to reheat air previously cooled by refrigeration, and in relatively great humidity fluctuations in the space served; I

The present invention by raising the dew point of the dehumidifled air above a selected minimum, conformably with rises in outdoor air temperatures, accomplishes several results. The cool ing load is reduced and fluctuations in relative nected by the air line 15 to the bell 16 which humidity are reduced. In addition as will be described \in the iollowingparagraph, the dry bulb temperature of the air delivered to the enclosure served, and the temperature of the sensible cooler in the enclosure are raised coniormably with rises in the outdoor temperature. Thus comfort with minimum cost is obtained without danger of shocks due to excessive difierences in indoor and outdoor temperatures.

The master thermostat is also connected by the air lines 53 and 62 with the dry bulb substat 63 in the main air supply duct 45, and by the air line 53 with the dry bulb sub-stat 18 in the space 31, and resets these thermostats conformably with outdoor dry bulb temperature changes.

The termostat 63 is connected by the air lines 66 to the bell 61 whichadjusts the valve 28 in the water line l8 to the cooler I8, and by airline 68. to the bell 69 which adjusts the valve 32 in the water line 38 t0 the cooler 25. The thermostat 63 thus controls the dry bulb temperature of the air in the supply duct 45.

The thermostat 18 in the space 31 is connected by the air line 1| to the bell 12 which adjusts the valve 35 in the refrigerated water pipe to the local cooler 36, and controls the temperature of the air delivered by the local cooler, and adjusts the temperature of the air delivered by the local cooler conformably with outdoor temperature changes.

Thedew point thermostat 65 in the main supply duct .45 is connected to the compressed air supply' by the air line 64 and is connected by the air line 13 to the sub-stat 14 in the refri erated water pipe 38. The sub-stat 14 is conadjusts the three-way valve 3|. The sub-stat 14 controls the temperature of the refrigerated water through the pipe 36 to the central cooler 25 and local cooler 36 by adjusting the valve 3| to mix chilled water from the evaporator cooler 26 with recirculated water by-pass'ed through the pipe 33 around'the cooler 26. The sub-stat 14 is adjusted by the dew point thermostat 65 to control the temperature of the water supplied to the coolers 25 and 36 to prevent it having a temperature closely approaching the dew point temperature of the conditioned air. In this way no condensation can take place at the coolers 25 and 36. l

The evaporator cooler 26 receives a volatile refrigerant through the pipe 11 and expansion valve 18, from the condenser 19 and compressor 88.

The cooling tower 8| normally during reiriger ating operation supplies water through the pump 82, pipe 83, valve 88 and pipe 65 to the condenser for cooling the condenser tubes. This water returns from the condenser to the tower 8|, through the pipe 86, valve 81 and pipe 38.

When the wet bulb temperature of the outdoor air is low enough for evaporative cooling to be effective, the wet bulb thermostat 89 which receives compressed air through the line 90, actuates the valve 81 through the bell 92 and air line ill to close off the pipe 86 and to connect the pipe I02 with the pipe 88. It also actuates the valve 84 through the air line 93 and bell 94 to close off the pipe 05 and to connect the pipe 83 with the pipe I03. At the same time through the air lines 93, 95 and 96 it actuates the bell 91 to open the electric switch 98 to deenergize the compressor motor 99. At the same time through the air lines 93 and 95, it actuates the bell I to open the electric switch IOI to deenergize the pump motor 28.

The wet bulb thermostat 89 thus deenergizes the compressor 80 and the pump 21; discontinues the flow of water from the tower 8| through the condenser I9, and circulates the cooling tower water through the pipes I03 and I02 connecting with the pipes 30 and 33 respectively, through,

the central sensible cooler and the local cooler 36 when the wet-bulb temperature of the out-- door air ialls'to a predetermined point. When the wet bulb temperature of the outdoor air rises above the predetermined point, the thermostat 89 actuates the above described controls to energize the compressor 80 and pump 21 and to route the cooling tower water through the condenser I9 instead of into the sensible cooling water circuit.

What is claimed is: V

1. An air conditioning system for a local room,

comprising in combination, means including a central dehumidifier for supplying dehumidified outdoor air into said room, means for circulating a hygroscopic solution through said dehumidifier, means for adjusting the vapor pressure of said solution, means responsive to humidity changes in the air delivered by said dehumidifier for controlling said last mentioned means, and means responsive to changes in outdoor temperature for adjusting said last mentioned means.

2. An air conditioning system for a local room. comprisingincombinatiommeans including a central dehumidifier for supplying dehumidified outdoor air intov said room, means for circulating a hygroscopic solution through said dehumidifier, means for adjusting the vapor pressure of said solution, means responsive to humidity changes in solution and said means for adjusting the temperature of said cooler.

3. An air conditioning system for a local room, comprising in combination, means including a central dehumidifier for supplying dehumidified outdoor air into said room, means for circulating a hygroscopic solution through said dehumidifier, means for adjusting the vapor pressure of said solution for adjusting the dew point of the dehumidified air, means responsive to humidity changes in the air delivered by said dehumidifier for controlling said last mentioned means, and means responsive to changes in outdoor temperature for adjusting'said last mentioned means for increasing the dew point temperature conformably with increases in the outdoor temperature.

4. An air conditioning system for a local room, comprising in combination, means including a central dehumidifier for supplying dehumidified outdoor air into said room, means for circulating a hygroscopic solution through said dehumidifier, means for adjusting the vapor pressure of said solution for adjusting the dew point of the dehumidifled air, means responsive to humidity changes in the air delivered by said dehumidifier for controlling said last mentioned means, a local sensible cooler in said room, means for adjusting the temperature of said cooler, and means responsive to changes in outdoor temperature for adjusting said means .for adjusting the va-- por pressure of said solution and said means for adjusting the temperature of said cooler for increasing the dew point temperature and the room temperature contormably with increases in the outdoor temperature.

HENRY EWELL 

